Nova
by Ligerlilly
Summary: The Enterprise is warping to Vulcan on an emergency mission, about to fight Nero and the Narada. There is only one key element seems to be missing. Jim Kirk. Who happens to be held at phaser point on the bridge of the Narada. And who no one has seen since his childhood disappearance. Spock x Kirk
1. First Sight

**Nova**

**Chapter One **

**First Sight**

**The Enterprise is warping to Vulcan on an emergency mission, about to fight Nero and the Narada. There is only one key element seems to be missing. Jim Kirk. Who happens to be held at phaser point on the bridge of the Narada. And who no one has seen since his childhood disappearance.**

**There. I hope this summary will be… satisfactory. **

**I plan for this to be a long fanfic that will last many chapters. It will include the events of both movies, but due to the change, they will play out somewhat differently. It will also cover time in between and after both of the movies. I can't say how often this will be updated, but I can tell you I already have several chapters written. **

**This will eventually be a Spock and Kirk pairing (Spork, I believe?), but a slow build up, as I believe that is the only way Spock can manage such things, being the suppressed individual he is. Don't like, err, don't read. I may make other pairings as the story develops.**

**As this does take place in an AU there may be some OOCness, so forgive me.**

**In regards to my other works, I'm still working on them. Don't worry. And I promise here and now to finish this. **_That is if people like this story…. D:_

**I believe that is all. Alright then. Carry on.**

_Your attention, please: At twenty-two hundred hours, telemetry detected an anomaly in the neutral zone, what appeared to be a lightning storm in space. _

_Soon after, Starfleet received a distress signal from the Vulcan High Council that their plant was experiencing seismic activity. We have since lost contact with Vulcan._

_Our Mission is to assess the condition of Vulcan and assist in evacuations, if necessary. We should be arriving at Vulcan shortly. Thank you for your time._

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-_

"I'm Captain Christopher Pike. To whom am I speaking?"

"Hello Christopher, I'm Nero."

A close up of a heavily tattooed Romulan face filled the screen of the Enterprise, giving a shiver of horror and shock to the entirety of the Enterprise bridge crew.

Part of the shock had to do with the fact that it was a Romulan on the screen, even though they had somewhat anticipated it. Romulans… seldom seen, rarely heard from, known to be hostile. The Federation had little contact with them beyond the creation of the neutral zone, meant to keep the two apart, preventing all-out war.

The way he was so casual, so seemingly carefree, when moments earlier the ship struggled to maneuver through the carnage of every other one of the ships the academy had sent.

An unknown number of lives were lost, students, ensigns, officers, and instructors alike, all killed for an unknown reason. A monstrosity that hovered above Vulcan, easily stopping every other ship that tried to challenge it.

On their way to Vulcan, they received a suspicious transmission, oddly not coded in any way. Who had sent it wanted everyone and anyone to be able to read it. The message had been a simple warning, alerting Starfleet and those who could receive it on Vulcan of a Romulan ship attacking the planet and they were highly dangerous. The planet and all on it were in jeopardy.

The transmission had been weak in signal, partial, and too late for most. It had not been able to save the ships that had arrived before the Enterprise, and the ship may have suffered their fate as well… if not for a serious of fortunate events.

A sick pilot, replaced by Hikaru Sulu, who accidentally stalled their departure, and a clever xenolinguistics student, Nyota Uhura, who had heard a transmission last night about a Romulan ship attacking a Klingon armada, and put two and two together when she heard a transmission in route to Vulcan, warning any and all starships of a dangerous Romulan ship attacking Vulcan. She had the bravery to warn the bridge, and then got the honor to replace the current communications officer with the skill in being able to distinguish between and understand the Romulan and Vulcan languages and differences.

Pike stood up, looking strong and confident, something the crew needed. "You've declared war against the Federation. Withdraw, and I'll agree to arrange a conference with Romulan leadership at a neutral loca…"

"I do not speak for the Empire." Nero interrupted. "We stand apart. As does your Vulcan crew member... isn't that right? Spock?"

All eyes turned to Spock. Unvoiced question hung in the air, and Spock looked to Pike, who gave him a nod. Spock stood up and addressed Nero. "Pardon me, but I don't believe you and I are acquainted."

Nero looked slightly annoyed, but a smile quirked on his lips. "... No, we're not. Not yet."

Everyone on the bridge was confused and uncomfortable. Spock quirked his eyebrow.

"Spock, there is something I would like you to see…" Nero gestured to someone unseen and the angle of the camera changed, revealing yet another shocking scene. A human male was being held between two Romulans. He was blond, young, and badly beaten. His head was hung down until one Romulan grabbed his hair and pulled it up. The human looked pained, but a gleam in his eyes showed he still had fight.

Spock had a feeling that the face was familiar.

"Do you know this man?" Nero asked. His voice was almost eager.

"We are not acquainted as well." Nero looked disappointed, but that did not last before his uneasy cheerfulness took over once again.

"And now you never will be. He is the one you can thank for that little pathetic warning, and for that he will pay with his life. Not that I was going to let him live anyways." Nero stared at the human and smiled smugly.

The human man stared back, and muttered something in a language the universal translator failed to pick up on. He raised his voice, louder, and then he started to shout.

On the bridge of the Enterprise, Cadet Uhura paled, turning away from the scene, hand over her mouth covering a gasp. On the Romulan ship Nero barked an order and the human was beaten once again into silence. They dragged his limp body off screen, and now all that was left in view was a very pissed off looking Nero.

"Captain Pike- your transporter capability is disabled. You have no choice. You will man a shuttle and come aboard the Narada for negotiations. That is all."

And with that the image disappeared and the crew was left in silence.

**End of Chapter.**

"**You're probably wondering what's going to happen to you. That's easy. The same thing is going to happen to you that has happened to every other human being who has ever lived. You're going to die. We all die. That's just how it is."****  
****―****Ernest Cline****,**_**Ready Player One**_


	2. The Stranding

**Nova**

**Thank you to people who have reviewed me so far! And those who have followed me already! The people at the beginning are the people who give me hope in the story, so this is why I have the next chapter, up and ready.**

**To those who haven't yet:**

**Please review and follow! Or one or the other. Both are preferable, but I don't want to be pushy. One is fine. Reviews in particular are great (I read every single one for every story), but there is fun (and a power rush) in knowing each chapter addition sends out emails telling people 'Hey! That thing that you somewhat like is a bit longer! Huzzah!'**

**Chapter Two**

**The Stranding**

On the Romulan ship the blonde prisoner was dragged semiconscious from the bridge, down into the bowels of the ship. The dark ness of unconsciousness was pulling at him hard but he fought it. Now was what he considered to be one of the worst times possible to black out, not that he could help it much longer. As he was, he could still make out what was being said around him.

"What did he say?"

"I do not know. I have never heard that language before and the universal translator does not…"

"I figured that out for myself! I want him off this ship! Now!" Nero yelled as soon as the transmission to the Enterprise was cut off.

One brave Romulan lackey had the gall to respond. "Captain, you said you wanted him to witness the destruction of Earth."

"I do not care anymore. His presence is a continuing nuisance upon my ship. He knows what is coming and he will know it happened after it has. We will retrieve him later and show him the aftermath of our work."

The blonde prisoner let out a pained groan and the Romulan captain frowned in distaste.

"If he lives long enough, I would like to execute him in front of Ambassador Spock. To, as Terrans say, 'kick him while he is down'. Send him to Delta Vega. Make the pain of his death fresher when the time comes."

"As you say."

The need to protest the occurring events was great within the prisoner. They were talking about killing him. Killing his planet.

The why was still a mystery to him, but he fought the how to the best of his abilities, and he knew one thing for sure, deep down in his heart.

"You… won't get away with this." The prisoner managed to say.

"Oh Kirk, I already have."

The prisoner glared at the Romulan captain as he was dragged away until darkness finally succeeded and everything went black.

…

A bright light met him upon awaking. It was red and flashing. An alarm was going off. At first it sounded subdued and far away, but soon started to blare loudly as Jim's senses came into check.

A screen in front of him was a partial source of the bright light. Words written in Romulan graced the screen, but Jim's head was still too fuzzy to make any sense of it. He can read Romulan pretty well, Vulcan even better, but he probably would struggle even read Standard after that bashing to the head.

Jim rubbed his face with his hands, groaning as he still continued to adjust.

It was cold.

He pulled his hand away from his face and took in his surroundings. He was in an escape pod. A Romulan escape pod. When he remembered how he got here he swore.

The exterior window revealed that world around him outside was white, snowy, and stormy. Just a lovely situation.

He looked over the readings of the pod, now a bit more clear-minded, and got his bearings. The pod had landed on a class M planet and indicated that there was a structure of some sort roughly a mile or two from his current location. He knew the pod would not fly him off this planet. All it could do was provide him shelter as he waited like a sitting duck for his captors to come back and collect him. Though it was the safer course of action to live as long as possible (which would not be long when they did come back) the prisoner decided to take his chances and venture to the shelter.

An automated Romulan voice repeated instructions at occasional intervals to remain in the pod as outside conditions were hazardous, but the prisoner ignored them as he felt around for the exit lever.

Thirty second later and one strong tug forced open the door and let howling winds and blistering cold rushed in, giving the blond a quick flash of regret that quickly went away.

He pulled himself out of the pod and into the white wonderland.

That was when he realized he had barely anything warm at all on. He had his coat, which some generous Romulan had been kind enough to shove on the pod with him before ejection. The jacket sadly was barely equipped to deal with Iowa Earth winter conditions. The rest of his outfit was worse.

He was cold as fuck.

As planets go, this was not the worst Jim one had been on. Not one of the best either. This situation, though, was one of the worst.

The Romulans were not messing around. They had ejected Jim what was probably minutes before the planned mass genocide of a planet and species. He tried his best to warn the USS Enterprise, but the chance that they could stop it were… unlikely.

Never before had _this_ many people been in peril before. Not even in his darkest days. And he was for some reason at the heart of it. And so far he was essentially useless.

But he had to try.

And with that thought he started his trek in the direction of the structure.

…

The idea was that if he got to the structure, best of the best he could send out more warnings if there was a functional communications device. Maybe convince a passing starship to either help out whatever the hell was going on over Vulcan, or to pick him and get him back in action so he could do… something.

Sadly the idea could only work if he made it there alive, which sadly the wildlife of the planet begged to differ. Far off he had seen a small creature running and calling out to him. It turned into a large creature charging at him with an angry roar.

As he tripped and fell down a steep hillside, he was saved from the large creature that wanted to eat him with an even larger creature that could easily eat the first, but decided Jim was a much tastier and easier prey, so it started to chase him too.

Lovely.

Jim saw a cave as he ran with death seconds behind him and he hoped desperately that he would get to it in time.

Suddenly a figure emerged from the cave and Jim's first thought was '_oh shit another creature that wants to eat me'_. The figure fully emerged and with it was a lit torch. That was good enough for Jim to assure him it was safer than the hungry giant creature behind him, and he ran past it and into the cave, where the figure followed, waving the fiery torch around as he went, successfully scaring off the creature until they were both safely deep enough in the cave to avoid it's reach.

Jim took a moment to breathe, his lungs were killing him, but he took a protective stance and he turned to face the figure, his apparent savior, unsure of what to expect.

Throughout the years he learned the hard way that rarely does a good deed come without a price.

What he saw shocked him, and apparently shocked the other person, which shocked Jim even more.

"Jim," He said, "You found me."

**End of Chapter.**

"**Kurt: You make your sauce for Kurt.**

**Ed: Who's Kurt?**

**Kurt: I'm Kurt.**

**Ed: I'm Ed.**

**Kurt: I'm aware!**

**Ed: You said you were Kurt"**

**-Good Burger **


	3. Unwitting Reunions

**I'm trapped and forced to write this. My cat fell asleep on my legs (I'm lying on a couch). I love her. But I wish I could move around freely.**

**To be honest. This was already written, but I am looking it over and fine tuning it. For you. My beloved reader.**

**Thank you for all the early interest! I hope I do not let you down!**

**Chapter Three**

**Unwitting Reunions**

"Jim. You found me."

"Excuse me?" Asked Jim.

Jim would be at a loss if he was expected to explain how the old vulcan across the cave knew him. The very same old vulcan he had gotten a glimpse of as the Romulans dragged him out of his ship and into his cell.

The Vulcan had been in a cell of his own, and they had locked eyes for a brief second before Jim was jerked roughly by unfriendly hands and he did not have time to wonder why there was another prisoner. His cell had been far enough away too that by the time he was alone and able to wonder, he was too far away to try to communicate.

He could guess as to how he got here on this god-forsaken planet, probably the same way as Jim. But for what reason? Why was he on the Narada (Nero's spaceship of love) to begin with? How was he significant? It was a mystery.

"How did you find me?" The old vulcan asked again.

He seemed like the old grandfather type, with an honest voice and a voice of genuine surprise. But that did not explain one crucial thing.

"Woah woah woah, how do you know my name?"

"What happened to you on the ship?"

"Why don't you tell me what happened on the ship?!" Jim yelled. "And how do you know my name?"

The vulcan was staring at him now and some sort of realization seemed to cross his face. Jim couldn't help but think that, for a vulcan, the old man did not hide his feelings well. Or at all. The complete opposite of every old Vulcan Jim had had the misfortune of crossing paths with.

Jim was not sure what conclusion he drew, but the next words out of the old man's mouth hit him hard for reasons he could not explain.

"I have been… and shall always be your friend."

What does he mean?

"Look, I don't know you. And I don't have any friends." Jim responded firmly, ignoring the chills that went up his spine for reasons beyond the cold. "Now you are going to tell me everything you know about Nero and the attack on Vulcan, starting with how you know my name."

"You are James Tiberius Kirk, are you not?"

"Yes. How do you know that?"

"We knew each other, in another life. My name is Spock."

"Wha… but that Spock guy was on the Enterprise. Nero…"

"He and I are one and the same, but I am one hundred and twenty-seven years his senior."

"But how… I don't understand. What is going on?" Jim was thoroughly confused. The vulcan started to move towards him, hand outstretched, which immediately put Jim on edge.

"There is much to explain. It will be easier to understand if I just show you."

"What are you…?" Jim did not get to finish his question before the elder closed the distance between them and pressed a hand to the side of Jim's face, taking Jim away from the physical world.

…..

Mind melds are a curious thing.

I had read about them, but information was scarce, the way most things were when it came to the more lucrative aspects of Vulcan culture.

What I read was nothing even close to what I now felt.

He was_ in_ my head.

_Our minds… one and together… _

Images flooded into my brain, images that were not mine and that I have never seen before, and unseen words floated around me. I felt the need to catch them, but all alluded me and I was lost. Then I felt his presence and reached out for it. He accepted me, wholly and completely, and guided me through the maze of his mind.

_A star in the Beta Quadrant going Supernova…. Destroying everything in its path…_

A white hot flash of light and a star caving in on itself before exploding outwards like a fiery tsunami.

_I promised the Romulans I would save their planet… We outfitted our fastest ship…_

_Using red matter I would create a black hole which would destroy the exploding star._

_I was en route when the unthinkable happened…_

The wave of flames surrounded him and consumed all the images and the ghostly whispers of countless screams chilled him to his core.

_Destroyed… Romulus…_

Impending destruction loomed. Jim knew the star would not stop with Romulus. It would grow and keep growing…

I am death, the destroyer of worlds.

_I had no time…_

_I went to extract the red matter and surely enough ejected it into the super nova._

The red matter! I had seen it before! It was what was going to be used to destroy Vulcan. Now I knew by creating a black hole at its very core.

_As I plotted my escape I was intercepted._

_He called himself Nero. Last of the Romulan Empire._

Nero's face popped up in front of me and suddenly I was back on the bridge of the Romulan ship, _The Narada. _ He stood and watched with satisfaction as others restrained and beat me. Punishment. For breaking out of my prison and sending the message. A sharp tug pulled me away from this memory and I fell to the bridge of another ship.

A Vulcan ship. I was sitting at the helm…. No Spock was sitting at the helm.

He was being pursued by the giant Romulan ship, that came from no where, forcing him off his escape route. The ship doomed them all, trapping them in the wake of the black hole. Then everything went black.

_Both of us were pulled into the black hole…._

_Nero went through first… he was the first to arrive…_

A lightning storm in space. A Romulan ship with futuristic technology. The death of his father. A forgotten voice saying his name.

_Nero and his crew spent the next twenty five years awaiting my arrival…_

_But what was years for Nero, was only seconds for me._

Trapped.

_I went through the black hole. Nero was waiting for me._

_He held me responsible for the loss of his world._

_He captured my vessel and spared my life…For one reason._

_So that I would know his pain._

No… no…

_He beamed me here so that I could observe his vengeance._

_As he was helpless to save his planet, I was helpless to save mine…_

No. Please, no. I tried my best. I warned them when the big mouth leader exposed his plan to me for no reason.

I tried my best. It did not work and now….

The image of Vulcan, as seen from this planet hung above him. Jim looked up and watched helplessly as the planet slowly collapsed in on itself, break apart bit by bit, the effect snowballing, increasing in speed, with clashes of horror and magnificence in a horrible swirl until nothing was left.

_Billions of lives lost because of me, Jim._

His pain was my pain. His grief and mine, one and the same.

_Because I failed._

No. You did not fail. I did.

…

Vulcan was destroyed.

Jim had failed. His warning was not enough.

It was what he had feared, that sometime between blacking out and being saved from a snow monster Vulcan was…

He knew it was going to happen. He risked his life to send out a warning. He was only able to due to Nero's arrogance caused him to reveal his plan to early, in his delight over running across Jim.

Now he knew why… somewhat. There was Spock, one of multiple Spocks, apparently, Nero had a grudge against. He became the center of Nero's revenge plan for the loss of his planet. And Spock knew Jim. He said they were friends. In his past. Which meant he and Nero were from the future.

They came back and changed the past, starting from the very moment Nero and the Narada showed up in Jim's reality. Jim's whole life changed with the destruction of the Kelvin and his father's death.

Now he has never even met Spock, this reality's rightful Spock, who will now never become this older version of Spock. And they were friends but they aren't because the other Spock was in Starfleet and Jim was… just Jim.

They changed everything.

Stole a life Jim could have had, and now will never know.

It was all so confusing.

Jim felt sick and collapsed.

**End Chapter**

"**So like, right now for example. The Haitians need to come to America. But some people are all, "What about the strain on our resources?" Well it's like when I had this garden party for my father's birthday, right? I put R.S.V.P. 'cause it was a sit-down dinner. But some people came that like did not R.S.V.P. I was like totally buggin'. I had to haul ass to the kitchen, redistribute the food, and squish in extra place settings. But by the end of the day it was, like, the more the merrier. And so if the government could just get to the kitchen, rearrange some things, we could certainly party with the Haitians. And in conclusion may I please remind you it does not say R.S.V.P. on the Statue of Liberty. Thank you very much."**

**-Cher from **_**Clueless**_


	4. Indescribable

**Another chapter, just for you!**

**Oh my gosh, are you lucky.**

**Please review to let me know how you like it! Thank you!**

**Chapter Four**

**Indescribable **

"_They are creating a singularity that will consume the planet."_

"_They are creating a black hole at the center of Vulcan."_

"_Yes, sir."_

_How long does the planet have left?"_

"_Minutes, sir. Minutes."_

As calculated, minutes later all that was left of the planet Vulcan was a ragtag fleet of ships that had managed to evacuate the planet just in time.

It was unclear how many Vulcans had survived the genocide, but the majority of the planet's six billion inhabitants did not make it.

It was a tragedy by which the likes has never been seen before by the Federation. It was almost unimaginable.

Spock had been standing on the surface for the last time, just before its destruction, and for the first time in years since his choice of Starfleet over the Science Academy and the fighting with his father that had followed that decision.

He had beamed down to save the Elders, who would have been out of transporter range if not for him leading them from the Katrik Arc. By saving them, he saved the essence of Vulcan culture. His father had been among them, but his mother had not.

As he worried about her whereabouts while waiting to be beamed up, the world he had grown up on crumbled around him. The ground rippled and shook, and the cliff side they had been standing near succumbed to the seismic distress. It was fortunate that no one had been standing near it.

More lives had been saved then there would have been if not for the warning sent by the unknown man held prisoner on the Romulan ship. Many ships had already left the planet, wanting to be safe in orbit until whatever was causing the seismic activity back down on the surface was resolved.

Nyota Uhura, Spock's close (and only) friend and star student, had caught the warning the prisoner on the bridge of the Romulan ship had shouted. He had spoken in a rarely used Cardassian accent, according to Nyota, which is why it had not been picked up by universal translators.

The prisoner human had warned them that the plan of the Romulans was to destroy Vulcan.

"_Evacuate Vulcan! They are going to destroy it and kill everyone! Revenge! They are going to destroy the planet! The drill! It may be too late! Vulcan is going to…"_

With this information they were able to send a team of three cadets, Sulu, Giotto, and Olsen (who did not survive the drop due to his own error in his calculations), to disable the drill. As soon as they did, Nyota flooded all communication channels on Vulcan to immediately evacuate.

Soon after the Romulan ship launched an object into the hole they had drilled. Soon after the readings of the planet started to fluctuate greatly, and the Enterprise and her crew came to a realization that not only was it true that Nero and his crew were trying to destroy the planet, but they were doing so by creating a black hole at the center, using the hole they had drilled, and that the prisoner's hypothesis was correct. It was indeed too late to stop it.

Many ships managed to escape the planet and the pull of the black hole. A greater number, one could argue, then there would have been if the mysterious prisoner had not been able to give either of his warnings.

Now he was standing on the bridge, not entirely sure how he got there, greeted by the sight of his planet collapsing in on itself. Consumed by the singularity within.

The whole experience was entirely… indescribable.

It was almost… overwhelming.

Despite his years of practicing emotional suppression, he could not help but feel.

Pain, fear, hurt, agony, depression, anger, rage. All coursed freely within him now, and all he could managed was keep watching, until every last trace of his planet was gone and not a trace remained.

Only after did he look to his father, who had followed him onto the bridge wordlessly. His father, sensing his look, returned the gaze. An unsaid question hung between them, understood through the long neglected bond of father and son.

_Is Mother alive?_

His father nodded confirmation.

_She is._

His father could feel it through the bond they shared.

Relief flooded into Spock, blocking many other emotions. He looked back at the viewer, searching for the small collection of ships that huddled together, knowing his mother must be somewhere among them.

It would be later on that he discovered she was there because she had volunteered to go to an orphanage in the city near where they lived when the first warnings about the danger had been sent out. His father had elected to join the other elders.

The relief, though, could not stay the strongest feeling in his mind, though, as the emptiness that was once the ever constant presence of Vulcan, on which all Vulcans were connected to and centered by, took over.

With already present loss of control of his emotions, when this hit he could not suppress it in time before he winced.

The want to have an emotional outburst was strong. To collapse in grief or lash out in anger, or cry in despair. But Spock fought, harder than ever, to suppress them.

He had a duty as captain.

He had a duty as the highest ranking Federation officer present, to protect his crew and the survivors

Such emotions were illogical and unwelcome.

He must suppress them, as he has been trained. As was the way of his people. His culture.

A culture that now belonged to an endangered species, and was thus endangered itself, therefore should be preserved and upheld.

Upheld despite the painful emptiness Spock fought to not feel.

He had to uphold it.

To maintain control.

He needed to.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Have you confirmed that they are headed for Earth?" Spock managed to ask.

"Yes, Keptin. Their trajectory suggests no other destination."

"What if Earth is their next target?" Said Sulu.

"It is safe to assume that all the federation may be targets." Spock answered.

"If that is so, why did they not attack us?" Ask Chekov.

"We were no match for them." McCoy answered. "Probably didn't want to waste a bullet."

"That is not it." Spock said. "Nero said he wanted me to see something. The destruction of my home planet."

"And how the hell did they manage that anyway?"

"The technology needed to manufacture a black hole may suggest the answer: such technology could theoretically be manipulated to create a tunnel through time and space."

"Dammit man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist. What the hell are you suggesting?" McCoy asked.

"They are from the future?" Chekov asked.

"If you eliminate the possible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Spock stated.

"And now they are headed to Earth…"

"And they have Captain Pike."

Spock nodded. "As a high ranking member of Starfleet he has knowledge of Starfleet's defenses. Access codes. Planetary defense will not hold when, not if, they get the information out of Pike."

"If they are from the future do we even have a chance? Why would they do something so extreme if they didn't know for sure that they were going to caught?"

"You're assuming Nero knows exactly how events are predicted to unfold. The contary: Nero's very presence has altered the flow of history - thereby creating a new chain of incidents that cannot be anticipated by either party."

"An alternate reality." Uhura said, stunned.

"Precisely. Whatever lives we might have lived, if the time continuum was disrupted... our destinies are changed."

"Then what do we do?"

"Pike left us standing orders to rendezvous with the fleet at the other side of the quadrant. It is also our duty as Federation members to escort the remaining Vulcans to their safety until further decisions are made. Mr. Sulu, plot a course for the Laurentian system."

"But what if Earth…" McCoy tried to interrupt. His hesitation, Spock could sense, was shared by others.

"Our crew is currently working on repairing the damage we suffered from the attack. We are in no condition to do otherwise. If there are any other objections I will note in in the report. For now, carry out orders as instructed."

"But…"

"Were my orders clear?"

"Aye, Keptin."

"Yes, Sir."

"Course laid in."

"Engage."

**End of Chapter**

"**History,' Mari muttered, as if she'd overheard his thoughts. 'Why do we need to know what happened before we were born?'****'So hopefully we get smarter and don't make the same mistakes again."**

**-**_**The Demon King**_** by Cinda Williams Chima **


	5. The Lonely Outpost

**Here is a new chapter! If this chapter is not new it only means one thing… YOU are from the FUTURE! Brilliant! Do they still have sandwiches there?**

**In this alternate universe, none of the main characters have, at this point, met Jim. So they are what they would be without Jim's influence. Right now you can't really tell, but as this story continues I hope all will be revealed. **

**In the meantime, continue to be intrigued (hopefully) and confused (apologetically).**

**Chapter Five**

**The Lonely Outpost**

"_Where you came from… Did I know my father?"_

"_Yes. You often spoke of him being you inspiration to join Starfleet. He proudly lived to see you become captain of the Enterprise."_

"_Captain?"_

"_A ship we must get you to as soon as possible"_

After the mind meld and Jim's recovery from the "emotional transference" the two set out for the shelter Jim had originally tried to find.

Old Spock knew it was a Starfleet Outpost, and that there they would find the resources they needed to make their next move, if everything went well. Jim found out he had not been out long. The destruction of Vulcan had happened not to log ago, and with their combined knowledge of what the hell is going on they knew that Nero would not stop with Vulcan.

He was going to Earth.

And possibly every federation planet after that until there was no one left or Nero and his ship were finally destroyed.

It was too late for Vulcan, but it was not too late for anyone else. And it just so happened Jim and Old Spock were possibly the only people who could do anything about it.

Jim wondered as they waked what happened to the Enterprise. Since Nero spared them, supposedly so young Spock could, as his elder counterpart put it, know his enemy's pain.

It was sick, the way that Nero's time travel had not only robbed him of his life and his father, but Spock's planet and the life he would have had as well.

A sympathy for a man he had never met (sans his elder future-y counterpart) swept over him.

When they arrived Jim was not sure what to think. The complex looked meek in white landscape. The inside was even less impressive.

They found the entrance and after struggling a bit with the door due to the storm outside, they finally got somewhere _warm._

Jim had been freezing immensely, and the small fire Old Spock had made in the cave before they set out had managed to heat him up a little bit, but his exposure to it had been limited, and it's heat was like a distant memory the instant he stepped out of the cave and back into the storm. Old Spock had a thick coat over layers of warm clothing, but Jim would not take it, as his companion was both elderly and vulcan, desert species.

It did not matter. There were more important matters to attend to.

Not long after they entered thy came across a peculiar alien with a pair of the oddest eyes Jim had ever come across. He later found out the alien was called Keenser.

Keenser led them to the outposts only other inhabitant, a red-haired Scottish man named Montgomery Scott. 'Old Spock' already knew him from his previous life.

As soon as Scott saw Jim and Old Spock, he jumped to his own conclusions.

"You realize how unacceptable this is." He said in a heavy Scottish accent.

"Excuse me?" said Jim.

"… Fascinating." Said Old Spock. Jim shot him a confused look.

"I'm sure it's not your fault, and I know you lads are just doin' your jobs, but could you nae have come a wee bit sooner? Six months I've been living on nothing but Starfleet Protein Nibs and the promise of a real food delivery! Six months, boys! It's pretty clear what's going on here, isn't it? Punishment! Ongoing! For something that was clearly an accident!"

"Uh…" Jim was at a loss of what to say.

"You're Montgomery Scott." Old Spock mused.

"You know him?" Jim asked.

"Yes, that's me. Are there any other hard working and equally-starved Starfleet officers around?"

Keenser claimed he was, but Scott just dismissed him. "You eat nothing. A bean and you're done." Keenser crossed his arms, looking annoyed. "I need food. And now you're here… Wait. Where are your uniforms?"

"You are, in fact, the Mr. Scott who postulated the theory of trans-warp beaming?"

"Yes! That's exactly what I'm talking about! How d'ya think I ended up here? I got into a debate with my instructor on the issue of Relativistic Physics as they pertain to subspace travel. He seemed to think that the range of transporting, say, a grapefruit was limited to a few hundred miles, so I told my instructor that I could not only beam the grapefruit from one planet to the adjacent planet but that I could do so as well with a lifeform! So I tested it with Admiral Archer's prize beagle. Which was a mistake."

"What happened to the dog?"

"I'll tell ya when it reappears."

"Shit."

"Yeah, I feel guilty."

"What if I told you that your transwarp theory was correct? That it was indeed possible to beam onboard a ship that was traveling at warp speed."

"Well if that equation was discover, I would have heard about it."

"The reason you haven't heard of it, Mr. Scott, is because you haven't heard of it yet."

"Wait… are you from the future?" Scott questioned.

Jim tilted his head to Old Spock. "Yeah. He is; I'm not."

"Ah… Well that's brilliant. Do they still have sandwiches there?"

Scott was definitely odd, Jim could tell. He would not have believed Old Spock if not for the mindmeld (which he was worrying about, as he wondered exactly how much information Old Spock had gotten out of his mind when he was putting his own information in. That, and there was the whole weird 'total acceptance' thing that… just unsettled him). Scott just went with it. He probably didn't fully believe them, but he was not calling them out on it (yet). He also seemed to have no problem with the fact that nether Jim or Old Spock were with Starfleet.

Well, Old Spock was with Starfleet. Or was. Or is, since his counterpart currently is.

This future stuff, Jim concluded, sucks.

Very readily, Scott assisted Old Spock and Jim in locating and getting online a rusty heap of a transporter unit, long neglected in the station. It was located in an equally neglected shuttle, which Scott did not bother to repair as he considered it a waste of his abilities.

"Passing by ships would just use their own transporter units," Scott explain. "That is, if they actually wanted to get down here. Not that any stopped by."

They told him an abridged version of what was happening with Vulcan and Nero and the Enterprise. Scott was disturbed by the information, but it only served to motivate him more into helping their mission.

"So the Enterprise has had her maiden voyage, has she? She's a well-endowed lady. Love to get my hands on her ample narcelles, if you'll pardon the engineering parlance." Scott smiled and Jim rolled his eyes.

He them went on to express that even if Old Spock was from the future (as they claimed) he had too much difficulty in believing them, not based on the confusion of how time travel was possible, but based on his skeptitism that the trans-warp equation was real and that Old Spock could do as he was planning (which was to beam them aboard the Enterprise, which was warping, as Scott had determined from the planet's scanners, not to Earth, which made it, in Jim's opinion, the wrong direction), especially since the ship _was_ at warp and they had no proper receiving pad locked in.

He made a rather humorous analogy to blindfolded horseback bullet shooting.

"What's that?" He inquired to Old Spock, who was now entering something into the computer.

"Your equation for achieving trans-warp beaming." Old Spock stated. Scott looked it over with a dumbfounded expression.

"Imagine that! It never occurred to me to think of Space as that part that's moving."

As they prepared to beam away, Old Spock revealed that he was not coming with. Jim did not understand, until Old Spock hinted that if he was to ever meet his counterpart face to face, there would be dire consequences. Jim had had enough of 'dire consequences'.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"To stop Nero, you must find a way. Convince me to help."

He still did not believe Old Spock that in an alternate reality he was with Starfleet and a captain of a ship. Not just any ship, but a flagship! He was not the man Old Spock believed he was, but it terrified him to think he'd prove the old man wrong.

"I'm not even a Starfleet ensign! And the Enterprise is a Starfleet ship. How am I going to manage that?"

What exactly did Old Spock want him to do? Commandeer the ship? He'd get his ass handed to him by the ship's security. Talk his way in to captaincy? Or did he just have to talk his way into making the acting captain listen? (Their captain was ordered aboard Nero's ship, and from experience, they did not get him back. He was either still on the ship or the next marooned member of Club Delta Vega. If that was the case the first officer would be acting captain… and it just so happened that during the transmission, from what was viewable on Nero's screen, Jim noticed [he was especially good at taking in many small details with one glance] that Young Spock [surprise surprise] was the first officer).

"You will find a way."

"How am I going to get you to listen?"

"Use logic and emotion. Challenge his own. Use them."

"You want me to use you… guys?"

"I want you to help guide us. Guide him. Jim, I just lost my planet. I can assure, he and I… we are emotionally compromised."

"And you think I can help?"

"You have, Jim. And you always will."

**End of Chapter**

"**If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary-wise; what it is it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"**

**-Alice from **_**Alice in Wonderland**_**, Lewis Carroll**


	6. The Decision

**Thank you for sticking with the story! Stay with me until we get to the good stuff and I promise, you'll be pleased!**

**I edited the end of the last chapter a bit. Look it over briefly if you want, but it is not plot changing. I realized that Old Spock telling Jim to take command was unrealistic and, as you read this chapter, misleading. So I altered that bit a bit.**

**Thank you for all the reviews and follows and favorites! **

**Chapter Six**

**The Decision**

Spock was at a loss of what to say as his guards escorted two trespassers who had, by some unknown means, appeared in Engineering. Many questions came with their presence. How did they manage to get on the ship mid-warp? And why?

One of them was in Starfleet uniform, which had been given to him on his way up to the bridge. Though his clothes were dry, his hair was wet, and a towel was wrapped around his neck. Spock did not know the specifics yet, but a partial explanation for the man's state logically had to correlate with the unauthorized opening of a water compartment, which had initially alerted the ship to their unauthorized appearance.

The other trespasser was more… interesting. It was the man who had last been seen captive on the bridge of the Narada. A man who Nero accused of sending out the original warning that had saved many Vulcan lives, and then given a second, which saved more. A man whose identity was still unknown.

That man appeared to be in worse condition then he had been previously. More signs of physical assault, along with a greater appearance of exhaustion. His lips looked blue and chapped and he was shivering despite the towel of his own he had wrapped around him. Underneath he still wore the clothes he had on earlier. Whatever events had occurred between him being on the bridge of Nero's ship to the bridge of the Enterprise had not been favorable.

Despite his injuries and recent imprisonment he stood confidently and well composed, holding his head high and looking straight at Spock, waiting for him to speak first. Spock could tell the man knew his appearance came under unsavory conditions, but he had a determined expression.

"Who are you?" Spock addressed the pair, turning his attention to the apparent Starfleet member first.

"Montgomery Scott. Starfleet."

"Current assignment?"

"Station at Delta Vega. Not ideal, I might say, as I am overly qualified for such a position and I nay think it fair to punish me for one minor incident that occurred…"

"That will be sufficient." Spock interrupted. "And who are you?" He continued, turning his attention back to the other man.

"James T. Kirk."

"The last name is familiar to me."

"That would probably be because of my father."

"Your father?"

"George Kirk."

"The late Captain of the USS Kelvin?"

James Kirk's face tightened as he gave a nod of confirmation. "Sir, if I may, can I request that you change the direction of this ship at once."

This surprised Spock. "How do you know the heading of this ship?

How did you manage to get aboard this ship? We are traveling at warp speed. What you did should be impossible."

"Many things should be impossible but are not. Like, for example, a Romulan ship from the future meddling with the past." Kirk explained. Spock rose an eyebrow. "I cannot fully divulge all of my information at this time, because we have no time. I implore you to change the direction of this ship. You are headed to regroup with the main fleet, am I correct? Well, I can tell you, this is a mistake."

"It is not a mistake. We are outmatched by Nero and his superior weaponry. The odds of surviving if we pursued are unfavorable. We must gather with the might of the fleet to stand a chance in the next engagement."

"There won't be a next engagement, Spock. By the time we've 'gathered', it'll be too late - how many planets are you willing to risk?"

"Are you saying with certainty that Nero is going to repeat his actions on Vulcan to other planets?"

"Yes. And Earth is his next target, which is why we need to go and meet him head on before he can do it."

"Do you have any proof to back up your claim?"

"You saw me on the bridge. I was there. I overheard their plans and I know exactly what they are going to do. We need change course to Earth and meet Nero head on. That is where Nero is headed. I'm sure you have already know. He plans to destroy it, just as he destroyed Vulcan. Then he will go to every Federation planet and destroy them one by one until none remain or he is stopped."

"It is illogical to pursue the Romulan ship. They have superior weapons systems to ours, and the ship had already taken some damage from the previous altercation. That, with the addition of the number of refugees from Vulcan we have taken aboard, it is only logical that we should regroup with the main fleet and attack in force."

"By then it would be too late!" exclaim Kirk. He surged forward, and before the security team had a chance to respond he grabbed Spock's hand, flooding Spock with his own emotion.

Spock yanked away his hand, but not before Kirk had managed to send him his anger at Nero, the pain he had received at Nero's command, and the pain of failing to save Vulcan, and his determination to save Earth and get revenge.

"I'm sorry." Kirk apologized. "But I needed to prove to your my intentions are honest. And that if you don't help me, I'll do anything to find another way."

Spock was surprised Kirk knew about Vulcan's psy-sensitive hands, but he had made his point clear and proved sincerity. Spock's resolve towards his decision faltered, and he could see in the faces of his crew that their confidence in his decision did as well.

"We were under orders from the previous captain to regroup with the fleet." He stated, trying to stabilize.

"Sometimes you to be flexible. I assume the previous captain is still on the Narada? What about him?"

"Pike also did give us orders to recover him." Sulu added. Spock shot Sulu a look, unknowingly raising his brow again.

"Yes! That! You will still be following orders! See? That is logical! Now turn this ship around and plan an attack on Nero!"

"You do not have any authority to make orders."

"But you do!"

"It is illogical."

"Illogical or not it is the right thing to do! And the only one that will stand a chance save the lives of everyone on Earth."

Risking everything on the slim sense of success was illogical.

But was risking the Earth more illogical?

Kirk continued. "I tried my best to save Vulcan, please help me save Earth."

Spock suspected that if he denied that course of action Kirk would likely find a way to attempt to stop Nero, an attempt that, without the Enterprise, meant certain failure.

The path Kirk wanted to take, even with the aid of the Enterprise, had a high failure probability and what was at risk for this ship was great. Of the number of possibilities that could occur, the vast majority were unfavorable, many of which resulted in the destruction of the ship.

The loss of this ship and those on it would be nothing, in comparison, to the loss of Earth.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

"Lieutenant Sulu. Set course for Earth. Is there a way to intercept Nero's ship before he reaches Earth?" Spock asked.

Kirk's serious expression brightened.

"Aye, Captain. No, sir. It's too late for that. They will reach Earth's orbit before we can get close." Sulu answered.

McCoy, who had proved to be a strong willed and opinioned individual, joined in. "Even if we did, we can't go in guns blazing. Not with their technology, that's suicide."

"We don't need to directly engage them. If I could get back onboard, I am familiar enough with it that we could find and remove the red matter before they have a chance to use it." Jim said.

"The red matter?" Chekov asked.

"Err, the black hole device. That is how they are able to create one." Jim explained.

"An undetected insurgency would be the favorable course of action." Spock agreed. James Kirk flashed him a brief smile of gratitude then returned to his serious expression.

"Scotty, can we trans-warp beam onto the Narada?" Kirk asked his companion who just shook his head.

"Trans-warp beaming?" Chekov echoed in surprise and thoughtfulness.

"Nye. Not easily. We had a fix on the location of the Enterprise, but there is no way to predict the exact location of that ship. I'd just end up beaming you into space. Not a pretty way to go." Scotty mused. "And I like that. Scotty. The nickname really rolls off the tongue."

"What do we do now?"

"Make preparations. Make a plan of action" Spock answered.

"So plan stop Nero is go?" Kirk asked.

"Affirmative."

"Wonderful." Kirk said. "Is there a doctor available? Because I think I have frostbite."

**End of Chapter**

**Yeah! So Jim and Spock have now met face to face and Jim was able to talk Spock into doing the right thing. It helps that Spock does not already dislike Jim for cheating on the Kobiyashi Maru. That, and Kirk has 'street cred' for being a prisoner of Nero, and the sincerity of his emotions. Or whatever.**

**I'm just really excited to get this story past the movie part, so bear with me! Please! PLEASE! **

"**Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."**

**-Albert Camus**


	7. Sickbay and Cargo Bay

**New Chapter! Yay!**

**I do not own any rights to Star Trek. This chapter is mainly about speeding through the rest of the movie, or the rest of the action in the movie. The changes between what you have already read and what is on screen are minor, so as a result this chapter will cover a lot of ground and not go into much detail of those scenes. I'm just trying to get by this so I can get back to the point in the story where I have more control. Bwahahahaha.**

**This is a little hard to write, partially because I'm impatient to get to the fun parts, partially because I'm now on vacation, and partially because I think I'm getting sick because the room is like a FURNACE and I feel like I'm burning up.**

**Chapter Seven**

**Sickbay and Cargo Bay**

Jim's time spent in sickbay was not particularly pleasant. He hoped he'd never have to go back there again. It was not the staff, who were mostly friendly albeit stressed under their current conditions, but the medical treatment he reluctantly received.

Jim had never been a fan of hypos, and the chief medical officer in charge seemed to favor them. Jim almost swore it was some kind of punishment because the chief medical officer, McCoy, kept grumbling disapprovingly over his various injuries, new and old. Jim rarely got a chance to be looked over by a medical professional, let alone a Starfleet certified one.

When he got hurt or sick he usually just dealt with it on his own. Or, if it was bad enough, he would wake up in some planet's or space station's hospital. Always a disorienting experience.

A dermal regenerator was used to fix up his frostbite and the cuts and bruises he had. A sharp stab to the neck combatted the fever he didn't know he had, and was followed by several meant to combat all the diseases he might have picked up on the planet he claimed he beamed from. Jim wondered what treatment he would get if the man knew how many planets and sketchy systems he has really been too. Just thinking about it made him sore.

He wasn't sure what to think of McCoy. He was older, but not by too much. He was acting Chief Medical Officer, a title he just inherited due to the casualties from this mission. He seemed stressed, and Jim couldn't help but feel bad for him. He seemed to have a bad temper that was constant, judging by the way the staff tiptoed around him, and all the chaos did not help.

At least he did not try to make small talk. Everyone was dying to ask Jim questions. He could see it on their faces. Why wouldn't they? He was a mysterious outsider, an unknown element, and if this did out work out as he (desperately) hoped, the reason they all die.

What the hell had he gotten himself into?

Fatigue was tugging at him now, and the angry mumbling McCoy was talking about forcing him to sleep.

"How long have you been awake?"

Jim just shrugged in response with a sly grin, inciting an angry sigh.

McCoy was just about to use one of his hypos against Jim to drug him to sleep when, by pure luck, the bridge requested his presence.

A plan had been hatched in his absence. The Russian kid (How the hell did a kid this young get on the ship anyway? And in a position the bridge? He looked like a puppy that Jim just wanted to pat on the head and give a treat too. Wait, that sound's weird.) was some sort of physics genius and found out that if they dropped out of warp near Saturn, behind one of its moons, the rings would keep the Enterprise off of the Narada's sensors, but allow them to locate the Narada. From there they could beam a team directly onto the ship to carry out a covert mission to disable the Narada, remove the Red Matter, and save their lost captain, Pike.

It all sounded brilliant. The pilot, Sulu or whatever, seemed confident he could pull it off with enough finesse to keep the ship hidden for as long as possible, and once the team, the captain, and the red matter were safely removed, and hopefully the weapon systems were offline, he would be in the perfect position to launch an attack.

The infiltration team had to be as small as possible to avoid detection for as long as possible. Jim was the ideal candidate, having already been on the ship. He knew the layout and rough estimations of the crew's strength and the ship's technology. He volunteered right away.

He knew it was a risky move to put him on the field, considering the fact that he was not a trained and loyal Starfleet member, but it was also a risky venture to go without him.

Spock accepted his request instantly, giving Jim a little shock of surprise. It was weird being near this Spock after having been around Old Spock. They looked very similar. Both had very angular faces, pale skin, and the almost annoying black haircut. Both also had the dark more-human-then-Vulcan eyes, though Old Spock held much more emotion, as did the expressions he made on his face. This Spock seemed as reserved and closed up as any Vulcan. Jim was still able to pick up on his flashes of emotions before he suppressed them, but he blamed that on I-just-lost-my-planet control loss. And while the Old Spock seemed very fatherly (or grandfatherly), this Spock was so young and almost handsome. If that made any sense.

Jim's mind was still reeling with the fact that there were two of them, and how his life was alerted as a result.

There was a catch, if you could call it that, behind Spock allowing him to go on the mission. Spock would go as well.

It made sense, Spock was the highest ranking and most trustworthy Starfleet member, the complete opposite of Jim. He had a strict follow-the-rules vibe to Jim's make-it-up-as-you-go ways, so in theory they might work really well as a team. Or not. There was only one way to really find out.

When the Enterprise did drop out of warp everything worked out just how Checkov calculated and Scotty was able to calculate what he believed to be the position of the cargo bay on the enemy ship. It was a tricky situation, as Scotty had to use guess work to figure out where to put them. It would be a one way trip until they disabled the drill. Scotty couldn't relock-on to them until they did.

Spock and Jim got on the transporter pads, ready to beam out, but before Scotty finished his final calculations a beautiful woman walked onto the pad and gave Spock a warm hug.

She was tall, with flawless dark skin and long, glossy hair. She was a true exotic beauty. Spock just stood stiffly in her warm embrace, reacting as any Vulcan would with human physical affection, but he raised a hand to pat her back, an almost endearing attempt at returning her affection. Jim was not sure what to make of it.

"Come back safely," She told him, "I'll be monitoring your frequencies."

Her sweet expression turned fierce when she looked at Jim, as if she was challenging him to come back alone and face her fury.

Sadly Scotty's calculations did not work out as planned. Instead of ending up in a nice empty area of the ship, they ended up in the heart of crew activity, immediately inciting a barrage of phaser shots being fired in their general direction. To be fair to Scotty, it was cargo bay-ish. Just also heavily populated.

Though Jim knew were Captain Pike was likely to be held (based on his own held-against-his-will experience) Spock melded with a fallen Romulan to find the location of the red matter and double checked on Jim's hypothesis (he was right, which boded ill for Pike).

Together they made their way to the red matter and the sleek tiny spaceship it was stored within. It was decided Spock would fly the ship out, as the ship was made of futuristic Vulcan technology, so he would more likely be able to figure out the controls. It helped that the ship recognized Spock's face and greeted him by name. When Spock rose a questioning eyebrow to Jim, who just avoided making eye contact and remarked, "Wow, that's weird!"

They split up from there. It was too much of a risk to leave to red matter in the hands of the Romulans while they searched for Pike, so Spock would take the ship away and attack the drill from the outside while Jim would find Pike.

Spock managed to get the ship safely away, but Jim unfortunately ran into the second-in-command before he could get to Pike. Jim couldn't remember his name, but that mattered little as the Romulan decided to favor his fists over his phaser to attack Jim. Luckily he was arrogant enough to not pay attention, and Jim managed to get ahold of his phaser and used it against him. Sadly not before he managed to hold Jim up by the throat while mock him about history and being human.

Sore-throated, Jim continued his quest to rescue Pike, and he found him on the interrogation chair he himself had been on not too long before. After a rushed introduction (it went like "Hey! It's me! Yes, I'm that guy! The name's Jim! I'm here to rescue you! Come with me if you want to live!" or something to that effect) Jim helped Pike out of the chair and started to carry him to safety, shooting down all opposing Romulans as they went.

Outside the ship Spock had managed to destroy the drill and lured the Narada away from Earth. The Enterprise followed, so when the Narada opened fire on Spock, they countered every missile. Nero must have been pissed off by this point, which made Jim grin at the thought of it.

Spock directed the red matter ship onto a collision course with the Narada. Before the collision occurred Scotty managed to lock onto Spock, Jim, and Pike simultaneously (and at the last moment possible) and bring them safely back to the Enterprise.

The crash of the Vulcan ship into the Romulan one ignited the red matter and started the process of creating a black hole, right at the center of Nero's ship. Spock and Kirk managed to get onto the bridge just in time for Kirk to request a communication link ("It's important" was acceptable). Spock allowed it, and Jim was able to impress Spock and the rest of the crew by reciting Starfleet regulations concerning incapacitated ships in peril, offering assistance for the Narada on behalf of Starfleet. Nero refused.

When Jim was questioned by Spock, he just stated it was the logical thing to do.

There was no need to stay any longer, and the danger of remaining grew every second. Spock ordered full warp away. The pull almost trapped them, but quick thinking on Scotty's behalf and a desperate adrenaline-driven "Do it! Do it!" order from Jim (to which he later apologized) saved their asses and shot the Enterprise away from a horrible death and into the starry black void ahead.

When the crew finally had time to catch their breaths, a cheer went up. Everyone was grinning madly, even Spock looked on the verge of looking happy, and Jim let out a single "Whoo!" before once again stealing all the attention and collapsing out of exhaustion.

**End of Chapter.**

**Certain parts of the events of this chapter will be looked at more closely, so if there was a part you wanted more Jim or Spock (or other) insight on, one day might be your lucky day.**

**Nice first Jim and McCoy interaction. McCoy seems rather grumpy. He could probably use a friend. It only gets better from here. **

**Now the fun begins.**

**"I was so afraid Fernando  
We were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die  
And I'm not ashamed to say  
The roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry"**

**- From the song Fernando by ABBA**


	8. Last Known Whereabouts

**Chapter Eight**

**Last Known Whereabouts**

_**-Over Ten Years Ago-**_

A young blond human boy sat alone on a metal bench, surrounded by grass, trees, and various flora and fauna.

His posture was guarded; his arms were crossed in front of him, elbows resting on his knees and he leaned forward, head tilted forward as he stared at the spot in the grass in front of him.

He had fair skin and blue eyes. The boy appeared to be of thirteen or fourteen years of age.

The expression on the boy's face was despondent.

One hand held a small object, a Starfleet pin that was clutched tightly.

The view around him many would consider it to be an impressive sight. He was in a well-constructed arboretum, featuring a wide variety of plant life native to Earth. It might almost fool one to believe it was actually botanical garden on earth, were it not for the smooth metallic walls that rose high above the trees, creating a domed ceiling. Large windows embedded in the walls all around revealed the view of stars and starships all around.

Many starships were docked to or hovering around the greater structure to which the arboretum belonged to. It was a popular star base, used by Starfleet, various other Federation vessels, as well as other types of freighters, trade ships and etc.

A voice called out for the boy, causing him straighten up and adopt a more confident appearance. The Starfleet pin was slipped into his pocket and a normal and neutral face took over.

"Jim! There you are. We have been looking everywhere for you." Thomas called out.

Thomas was a boy about the boy's on the benches, Jim's, age. Actually he appeared a year or two older and a few inches taller. He had dark hair and a gangly looking body due to recent growth spurts. His hair was dark, and made his ivory skin look especially pale. His most outstanding feature was an eye patch over his left eye. The skin directly around it was pink, signifying that it was a recent injury.

It made Thomas uncomfortable, especially as his hand seemed to rise to touch it unconsciously as he felt Jim's gaze upon him.

"Why are you in the arboretum?" Said yet another boy. He was noticeably younger than the other two, his voice still high and childish for a boy. He was rather short, and gravitated closely to Thomas as they walked, but once the pair was close enough to Jim he left Thomas and practically ran to Jim.

He seemed a bit nervous, but calmer the closer he was to the two elder boys.

"I find it to be peaceful. One of the only quiet places here to think." Jim responded.

"Quiet is boring." The youngest complained.

"Hush Kevin." Thomas scolded.

"Quiet is sometimes necessary." Jim countered.

Kevin frown, not understanding, but Jim knew why. The youngest boy seemed to have an aversion to quiet ever since… that event. He filled all silences with words, chattering endlessly, or music. He preferred noisy areas like the engineering section on the ship or the rec center and the mess hall. Places like here and the observation deck, where people sat in silence like Jim, he avoided like the plague, unless he followed Jim and Thomas into them like a lost puppy.

It was a bit annoying but no one tried to stop him. It was too soon, too touchy of a subject, and if they had to address that then they would have to address their own problems.

Jim knew Thomas had to face his every day when he looked in the mirror, as there were just some things modern medicine could not heal. They shared a room, and Jim had heard him cry at night once or twice, but he never said anything about it.

"The Kelvin departs in less than half hour. We have to board now." Thomas informed.

"You go ahead. I'll catch up."

"But Jim…" started Kevin.

"I want to spend a few more minutes here. I won't be long."

"I will wait for you…."

"No. Go get on the ship without me. I want to be alone. Besides, if you are too close to the deadline you will get chastised, like I probably will end up be."

"I don't care." Kevin stated, looking indignant but he quickly drooped to a pouty face when Thomas put a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, Kevin, let's get back to the ship. We can start a game of chess and force Jim to watch when he gets onboard. Does that sound fun?"

"Yeah…" Kevin said, still pouting.

The two bid Jim farewell and walked away, the younger clumping along in a grumpy manner. The blonde watched the two as they went, keeping his upright posture and apparent calm demeanor, though his hand twitched in need to hold the Starfleet pin once again.

Just before they left, Thomas looked back at Jim and they shared a gaze for a brief moment before Thomas turned away and left with Kevin in tow.

In the brief moment that they had locked eyes Jim knew that Thomas knew. Ever since Jim stayed strong whenever he could around Thom and the others. He thought he had fooled them all, but he should have been so full of it to think he had fooled Thomas. He had been there when Jim cried over his bloody body, thinking that he had lost him too. He saw behind the strength Jim pretended he had. He knew what really await Jim back on Earth, from their time together before, when they had been carefree and whole.

He knew what Jim was thinking of doing, and he knew, though Jim had refused to admit it, what Jim had decided, and with that gaze he had shown Jim he knew and accepted it, for if he didn't he would have refused to let Jim out of his sight and used Kevin to pressure Jim back onto the ship out of guilt of abandonment.

But he had just met Jim's gaze and looked away.

So as soon as the two were out of sight Jim got up as well and left the bench. When he exited the arboretum he went through a different exit and went to the opposite side of the starbase.

There he talked himself onto one of many trade ships that departed that day as an unrecorded passenger. There was no way to track him, no way to be sure which ship he had boarded, and what system he had gotten himself to. There he left a course of life behind, a reality that was altered.

That was the day James T. Kirk was declared missing.

**End of Chapter**

"**Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you."**

**George R. R. Martin, **_**Game of Thrones**_


	9. Drinks and Words

**Thank you for all the reviews and follows! I love you guys. Without readers, these words are just pixels lost in the vortex of the internet. In this chapter you get to find out some about Jim. Enjoy!**

**I wrote most of this chapter late at night, and I just read it over and it all seems to make sense, but I might just be biased against my own work.**

**Chapter Nine**

**Drinks and Words**

According to the official statement released by Starfleet, James Kirk, son of the beloved George Kirk, martyr/hero of the U.S.S. Kelvin disaster, and famous baby born in space during the escape of the shuttles his father had died to save, was a major part of the Enterprise's victory over the Narada. He was also credited for the sending of the warnings that saved many lives on Vulcan and the Enterprise itself. Or so that was what the Starfleet officials told him they releases when they paid him a visit.

He woke up in the hospital on Earth after passing out on the bridge in the moment of victory. The angry chief medical officer apparently took this opportunity to give him sedatives to keep him down, forcing Jim to rest until he was satisfied. When he woke up Starfleet had been waiting, and before he could even entertain the idea to slip away they debriefed him about the incident. Jim shared his part in the story, only giving necessary details for Starfleet records.

He was not particularly found of the sense of déjà vu that went with these proceedings.

Starfleet had arranged for a place for him to stay while he was in the city. A bit of a 'thank you for saving our butts" gift, saving Jim the trouble of figuring that out for himself. It also gave him a place to base himself for a few days at the least while he made a game plan concerning what was next.

The whole Narada incident shook things up for him in so many ways he didn't know where to start. He was now homeless and jobless and on a planet he never thought he would step foot on again. The way things ended up were… interesting.

He was glad to be back on Earth. To take full advantage of this situation he decided to get a few things done that he had only dreamed about for the last couple of years. After a few quick stops in the hospital he first went to a store and purchased new clothes. The only clothes he had now were the ones he had been wearing the day before, and they were now worse for the ware.

He then went to the closest burger joint and tasted the sweet, sweet deliciousness that is beef from a REAL earth born-and-raised cow. Replicated Earth food couldn't hold a candle to this culinary masterpiece he now enjoyed. And earth-style food from the various colonies he visited just wasn't quite the same.

He then spent the afternoon, after dropping off his purchases in his temporary quarters, in downtown San Francisco, simply enjoying walking around the city in the good weather, sightseeing and people watching as he went.

Later that day Jim got the urge to get a drink. He chose a small pub at random, one that was near-ish his temporary apartment. It had looked friendly and inviting from the outside, and Jim was pleased it still looked that way once he got inside.

The place was not too crowded. Small groups of people sat here and there. A good number of them, Jim noticed, were from the Academy, which was not far off.

One thing surprised him. A familiar face sat alone at the bar, looking back at him with an equal amount of surprise.

"What are the chances?" The angry chief medical officer said aloud. He looked grumpy still, and Jim wondered if his face always looked that way.

"Hi." Jim said with a wave, tentative.

McCoy looked at him wordlessly for a moment, then beckoned Jim over, apparently having decided he didn't hate Jim as much as Jim thought he had. "Sit with me, why don't cha."

Jim did as he was told and sat beside him. He felt a little unsure, but he pushed that away quickly and fell into his favorite confident persona.

"We have never been properly introduced. My name's James T. Kirk. You can call be Jim."

"Jim." McCoy repeated, musing over his nickname. "My name's McCoy. Leonard McCoy. You can call me whatever you like, as long as it's within reason."

"Nice to meet you, McCoy." Jim reached out his hand and they shook. McCoy had a respectable handshake, firm and to the point.

Jim looked over the menu, glancing at the selection while McCoy flagged down the bartender.

The angry doctor ordered a whiskey while Jim opted for beer on tap. He was excited to have Earth beer. Real Earth beer! It has been far too long since he got his hands on the stuff.

They sat side by side wordlessly as they waited for their drinks. Jim was unsure what to say. He could tell by his companion's body language that the man wanted to say something, but was a bit hesitant. Jim had an idea what it was.

When their drinks came Jim first took a long draught from his beer.

Jim then broke the silence. "You know… if you have any questions for me, I don't mind answering them."

McCoy glanced briefly at him before clearing his throat and straightening up a bit. "I admit," He asked, "I'm curious. Everyone is wondering. Can you tell me how the hell you ended up on that ship?"

Jim smiled.

"The true story is a bit of a long story. It was a mixture of stupidity and luck." Jim answered, taking a long sip from his beer.

"Something tells me you and stupid go together like grits and cheese." McCoy remarked, looking Jim over. Jim's smile widened. He liked this doctor already.

"Never a dull day in the lives of the stupid." Jim said, earning a half grin from his companion.

"So?"

"Nero captured my ship earlier that day. I happened to be in the area while making a run when my sensors picked up the most peculiar phenomenon. Can you guess?"

"A lightning storm in space." McCoy answered.

Jim had more or less (it was more) obsessed with the lightning storm in space and the story behind the Kelvin disaster. It was all he had in connection to his father. A man whose last action was to save Jim and his mother by sacrificing himself. The only thing he would ever do for Jim. So it pained him to think that the offending ship got away and was never seen again. When he had nothing else to think about he would think about that ship and that phenomenon and dream about one day solving the mystery. Now that it was solved Jim wondered what he would obsess about next.

A worry of his was that it would be on this alternate life he might have had.

"Yes. So needless to say I was… curious. As you know I have a special interest in such phenomenons. I decided to check it out. I do know what I expected to find when I got there, and what I found was Nero on his ship, sitting at the very heart of the storm.

"They had a tractor beam locked onto another ship and were pulling it in slowly. It was the ship that had the red matter on it. They then sent out a second tractor beam to lock onto me before I could escape. The bastards almost blew up my ship while I was on it, but instead they took me aboard and made me their prisoner. Poor choice on their part

I realize now that the lightning storm was how they traveled through time. Nero and his monstrous ship came through all those years ago. Now the red matter came through and they could act on their plans of revenge that Nero had cooked up over the years of waiting."

"What exactly happened to make him so batshit crazy?" McCoy asked. Jim knew only a small handful of people knew exactly what had happened, to everyone else the whole incident was still somewhat of a mystery. As time passed more information would eventually be released as the officials got their facts straight. Jim happened to be one of the small handful of people that had a clue.

"Romulus was destroyed. In the future."

"Shit."

"Yeah. A star went super nova. The Federation sent a Vulcan science ship full of red matter to swallow the star before that happened, but the ship wasn't fast enough. The planet died before the red matter could be used. Spo… The Vulcan in the ship launched the red matter afterwards to contain the damage of the Supernova, but Nero and his ship attacked him, placing blame on him and the Federation for purposely not being fast enough." It would be best, Jim thought, to avoid bringing up the identity of the Vulcan. He was not sure how people would react to the fact that two Spocks were running around. Also there was the warning from Old Spock that there would be dire consequences should the two Spocks ever meet, which Jim was now doubting but not confident either way.

McCoy looked offended. "The Federation," he said, "would never purposely allow a planet to. Not even if they were the bloody Romulans or even Klingons."

"I know. Just not everyone in the galaxy agrees with you." Jim's face grew distant for a second as he thought about another time and another place. He continued, "Certainly Nero didn't. Because Nero attacked instead of getting out of the pull of the red matter, but his ship and the Vulcan ship were pulled in. Instead of being killed they were thrown through time. And that's how this whole mess started."

They sat in silence for a second, both men thinking about lost planets both here and in the future.

"I'm glad that bastard is dead." McCoy took a drink.

"We can at least thankful to him for one thing." Jim mused.

"Now what the hell is that?"

"He warned us years in advance of the star going super nova. Now that potential disaster can be avoided. And I imagine current relations with the Romulans might improve if the Federation plays their cards right."

McCoy thought that over as Jim took a few more sips of his own drink. It was still a little surreal being in a bar on EARTH of all planets. Jim was not sure if he would ever end up on this planet again.

"What happened to the Vulcan?" He asked.

"Hmm?"

"The one from the science ship?"

"They took him prisoner as well. The fact that he was Vulcan was why they targeted his planet first."

"Where is he now? Is he…"

"No. They marooned him on a planet so he could watch." McCoy's expression darkened and his grip tightened on his drink. "He's alright. I told Starfleet so they could send someone to rescue him. I left him in an outpost on the planet where Scotty came from."

"So you were on that planet, too?"

"Yes. But not until after Vulcan... you know. Pissed off the Romulans. Not enough to kill me right away, though. Once again, a poor decision on their part."

"How the hell did you get on the Enterprise from that planet?"

"Future mumbo-jumbo. A trans-warp equation that may or may not be classified. I wasn't told either way, so best be keeping that to yourself for now."

McCoy frowned, apparently not fully satisfied with that explanation. He took a moment to swirl his drink.

"So your ship was captured…" McCoy started, "What kind of ship was it?"

"A small one person transport ship." Jim answered. "I was a merchant of goods. A trader."

"Was?" McCoy inquired.

"Yeah. My ship was destroyed after Nero captured me. It wasn't worth keeping around, according to them. They weren't really planning on letting me live very long. Now I'm shipless and homeless. That ship was my home."

"My condolences."

"It's okay. It was a piece of crap ship anyways, but I loved it." Jim sighed. "I got to travel around to a lot of places with that hunk of junk."

"What's next for you? Since you're out of house and home and all."

"No clue." Jim shrugged. "I'll figure that out eventually... What is up with you? I'm answering an awful lot of questions asked by a man I know nothing about."

"What do you want to know?" McCoy looked somewhat surprised and yet amused.

"I don't know. What made you join Starfleet?"

It was McCoy's turn to sigh. "Went through a messy divorce. Wife essentially claimed the whole goddamn planet, so I figured space was where I would go."

"That's reasonable." Jim offered.

"I wish. I hate space. It's diseased and dangerous. One ill-placed crack in the hull of your ship and your blood boils in seconds. Go on the surface of the wrong planet and pick up a flu that makes your eyes bleed."

"You're an optimistic fellow." Jim laughed.

"I'm a realist. There is nothing glitzy and glamorous about space."

"I disagree. I only feel at home when I'm in space. It was where I was born, you know. And it's where I suppose I'll one day die."

McCoy frowned. "So… how exactly did you end up becoming a trader?"

Jim shrugged.

"You were declared missing. No one has seen you since you were a kid."

"I decided to go off on my own." Jim was casually avoiding McCoy's eye, instead favoring to play with his beer glass. "Needed a change of pace."

"Does it have anything to do with why your medical records are considered classified?" McCoy studied Jim for a reaction but got none. Jim just kept playing with his glass as if he didn't hear him. "I looked up your file, you know. You were my patient. All records of you stop just before you decided to get a 'change of pace'. I know it's a bit prying, but what happened?"

"Didn't have the best home life. I had spent a few years away from it all at a school, and found myself in a situation where I would either have to go back or make a run for it. I chose to run."

McCoy nodded in understanding. He had more questions, Jim knew, but thank god he didn't ask them. Instead he ordered another round of drinks.

The two talked for a while about mostly pointless things, with the more drinks under their belts the more pointless the conversation got. Never the less, they enjoyed themselves immensely.

Both men were used to being alone. Jim could tell McCoy didn't have many people he considered friends, one clue of which was him drinking alone in a bar. But he seemed to like Jim alright and Jim had the strangest feeling that if he hung around, McCoy and he might become friends.

The thought made Jim both excited and uncomfortable.

"You know…" Jim said, "Captain Pike and I met at the hospital. He said he wanted to meet with me in a few days to 'talk about my future'."

"You don't say?" McCoy remarked. "Think he's going to try to recruit you for Starfleet?"

"I don't know. If he does, I am not sure what I'll say. I haven't really seen myself joining Starfleet for a long time. In fact, I never really thought I'd ever go back to being Jim Kirk."

"Maybe this is a perfect opportunity to rethink your life." McCoy said. "Besides, he didn't say it was to recruit you, did he? Maybe he just want to yell at you for scratching up his ship."

"A lot of crazy shit happened that day. But crazy shit happens to me all the time."

"What the hell kind of work do you do as a trader?"

"I'm afraid if I tell you, I'll have to kill you." Jim joked, but a certain look in his eyes gave McCoy a shiver. "Did you know, by the way, Gorgons give live birth to multiple offspring at a time? And that baby gorgons are born with full sets of razor sharp teeth?"

"You don't say?"

"And it's not particularly wise to take a day long detour to chase a color-changing comet when you are supposed to meet with a certain warlike species concerning a delicate shipment of… herbal enhancers."

McCoy raised an eyebrow.

"And I swear to you I tried my best to be an honest trader, but there may or may not have been ten cases of Romulan Ale aboard my ship at the time of its destruction."

"Stop rattling my bones, boy." He warned.

Jim grinned. "Whatever you say, Bones."

**End of Chapter**

"**The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger. Who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed."**

**-Albert Einstein**


	10. Admirable Talk

**That's right, you guessed correctly why Pike wants to talk to Jim! Of course you did, what else would I do? Have Pike reveal that Jim's evil twin has assumed his identity and was already in Starfleet and dating a Ferengi? **

**Ha.**

**I love reading your reviews and I can't wait 'til everything I know about this story is written down and posted. Until then I'll revel in being the puppet master and secret keeper.**

**I may move some things around a bit in the timeline so the better fit with my story line, so be warned. Or excited. Or whatever.**

**Chapter Ten**

**Admirable Talk**

The office of Captain Christopher Pike was clean and organized. It was on the ground floor of one of the main buildings on campus. It had a huge window on the wall that nearly encompassed the entirety of the wall. It was possible the most professional office Jim had seen in years.

The captain himself was sitting at his desk. In lieu of an office chair, he sat in a wheelchair, but he looked no less powerful then he would otherwise. His injuries on the Romulan ship had been quite extensive, he had told Jim in the hospital. Nero had used some sort of brain bug to force Pike to speak the truth when questions were asked. The bug had targeted his nervous system, and the damage done could not be easily fixed. His body needed time.

Jim thanked the universe for Nero not using the bug on him.

Pike was not a young man, but Jim would not say that he was old. Seasoned seemed to be the best word to use to describe him. He had a kind face when relaxed, but it held great authority when he was serious, and right now had an edge of tiredness.

Jim stood in the doorway, hesitating to cross the threshold. Pike seemed busy with his paper work, and Jim found himself doubting if he was actually welcome. It felt odd to be here. Everyone, including Pike, wore uniforms. Jim was out of place in his casual citizen clothes.

Just one of many reasons he was different from those around him.

It had been several days since Jim left the hospital, and he spent the past few days wandering around San Francisco, getting a feel for the area and familiarizing himself with the planet's affairs.

Those past few days the Academy had been shut down. The school and Starfleet scrambled around to get ahold of the chaotic mess that followed the destruction of one of the key planets in the Federation and the deaths of the majority of the senior class and a large number of the staff and other Starfleet officers stationed on the destroy ships. Only now was it opening up shop again, so the entire campus teemed with life. Jim had managed to get all the way here without too many people recognizing him. Thankfully the lucky few who did didn't have time to react before he made his escape with nothing but a wink and fuel for the rumors McCoy, his new drinking buddy, said were circulating.

Rumors Jim didn't mind, as they were a fun distractions for stressed cadets.

Pike looked up from his PAD and smiled when he noticed his reluctant guest.

"James Kirk, come in. Please." Pike welcomed. He gestured to a chair on the opposite side of the desk. Jim closed the door behind him and walked forward, hand stretch out in front of him. The two men shook hands over the desk before Jim sat down.

"Nice to see you again, Captain Pike."

"It's Admiral, actually. I've been promoted."

"Admiral Pike, congratulations." Jim corrected himself.

"Yes. Thanks. The rest of the Admiralty appreciated my role in the Narada incident, which is what they are calling it now. I think it's a fair trade, considering the trade off." He gestured to his wheelchair.

"You deserve this. It takes a brave man to willingly be captured, and a smart one to use his surrender as a cover to launch a counterattack."

"But what I did was nowhere near as impressive as what you pulled off, kid."

"Jim. You can call me Jim. I did what I could. It was what anyone would have done in my position."

"Well Jim, it wasn't anyone. It was you. And you are wrong. A lot of people would run. It takes nerve to act the way you did. You are just like your father, George Kirk. For my dissertation I was assigned the U.S.S. Kelvin. Your father had that instinct to leap without looking. Act fast and act bold. It was in his nature, just as I sense it in you. Not just sense, but was proven. And in my opinion it's something that Starfleet has lost and something it now desperately needs."

Jim took a deep breath and shook his head slightly. "Look, I appreciate what you are doing, but I don't really see myself in Starfleet."

A lie. He knew this was coming since his talk with Pike. His father was his childhood hero. He long ago dreamed of enlisting and going into space and get away from it all... A dream he had found another way to accomplish. Lately he has been thinking about the possibility again, and was surprised to find he could actually see it being feasible.

"I do. I looked up your file. Your aptitude test were off the charts, up to the point where you disappeared."

"I just don't think I'm the right fit…"

"If you are half the man your father was, Starfleet could use you."

Jim broke their gaze and looked out the window. From it he could see a large grassy space full of young cadets in red. Some stood around in groups, some lay dispersed about in the grass, reading and napping, while others moved around between classes and study sessions. In the middle of the grass a makeshift memorial had been set up to honor the fallen classmates. It was a freshly planted tree, looking reminiscent of an alien oasis. Jim assumed was native to Vulcan. Flowers, letters, and other offerings were gathered at its base and attached to its branches.

"You don't know what kind of man I am. I haven't been my father's son for some time now." Jim said.

Pike sighed. "You are your father's son… and no amount of running will change that."

Jim stiffened slightly.

"What do you mean?" Jim asked.

"Though there has been no official ceremony yet, due to the current circumstances as Starfleet is stabilizing, I have already been granted all the power and responsibilities that come with the title and promotion. As an Admiral I have a certain clearance in access to restricted and confidential files that, as a Captain, I did not have before."

Jim knew where the conversation was turning.

Jim noticed a brightly colored scarf fluttering in the wind, knotted around a branch of the memorial tree. It was of a popular Orion design, with strands of gold woven in that made it sparkle in the bright Californian sun light. Jim looked back at Pike, whose face hardened as he spoke.

"I know what happened to you on Tarsus IV. I know you were there. As I looked up your record I found you medical record and your statements given after they rescued you. You disappeared days after your rescue while traveling back to Earth. I have a pretty good guess as to why you disappeared. Am I on to something?"

"You might be." Jim said casually, shrugging his shoulders, glancing away from Pike.

"Jim, you can be honest with me, if you want to. I do not need to know why you disappeared or what happened to you while you were gone. I just want you to consider your future. You can keep living like you have been, as a trader or whatever it was you claimed you have been doing these past years when you were debrief, but don't you sense your were meant for something greater? You worked with Starfleet for one day, and you saved a planet. Imagine what you can accomplish if you join and stay."

"I need time to think." Jim answered after a short silence. He stood up and straightened his shirt. Pike's face looked off for a second but he shook it off.

Pike nodded. "Of course."

They shook hands again and Jim walked to the door. The sounds of hustle and bustle from the hall leaked onto the room as Jim opened the door. He paused and turned back around, pushing the door closed once more.

"If I were to join… what exactly would that entail?"

"I'm sure you have somewhat of an idea. Once you are finished at the Academy, with the command track, I assume, you have a required five years to serve. More if you want to stay in longer. After the academy, if all goes well, you will be eligible to serve on a starship. Maybe even my starship. And one day, possibly your own." Pike said.

Jim straightened up, the thought of captaining a Starfleet starship being more than he ever hoped. A dream he never thought possible.

"How long do you think it will take?" Jim asked, for the first time considering the logistics.

"There is a way to fast-track you through the Academy. Three or two years instead of the standard four. You being a 'special' case. It would depend, of course, upon a few tests to gage your current academic levels. Your academic record is a bit outdated. Hopefully you did not get stupider over the years." Jim grinned. Pike continued, "After that who knows? You have quite the reputation already."

"So these tests…?"

"Be here; same time tomorrow. In fact, clear up your days for the next few days around this time."

"What should I study?"

It was Pike's turn to smile.

"Everything."

**End of Chapter**

"**Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."**

**-Batman Begins**


End file.
